This invention relates to a defense system for a satellite to protect itself from an attack by laser light irradiation.
A satellite may be the target of satellite borne laser light threats. The laser light irradiation could damage the solar cell arrays, could cause harm to the passive thermal collectors as well as severely damaging any electro-optical functions of the satellite.
In order for an attacker to pose a threat, it must first obtain accurate positional and range information on the satellite to be attacked. Presumably, the range and positional data will be acquired by laser since angular accuracies of the order of 1.times.10.sup.-6 radian will be necessary to preclude untenable laser power requirement to cause damage, and range information to less than 100 meters to verify power density to cause damage. Consequently, the initial period of an attack will be used to obtain range and position data using a pulsed laser of relatively low power.
A Laser Defense and Counter-measure System for aircraft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,690 by Milling, in which the aircraft has a second skin formed as a retroreflector. The retroreflecting elements are formed in a thin sheet of bright structural aluminum. U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,659 by Winfrey discloses a shutter means for use with a laser beam.